The incidence of melanoma has been continuously rising for the last 40 years, resulting in 53,600 new cases and 9,600 deaths in the US in 2002. The research community devoted to melanoma is scattered among many disciplines, including dermatologists, oncologists, surgeons, radiologists, epidemiologists, geneticists, basic biologists, immunologists, and molecular biologists. The community has had only one national meeting since the late eighties. Thus, different 'cultures' have developed, with little communication and collaboration between them. The planned First Melanoma Research Congress from June 21 to 24, 2003, aims to bring the diverse groups together. Sponsored by the Foundation for Melanoma Research, 79 speakers have been invited who represent all areas of melanoma research. These speakers will provide the community of melanoma investigators with a comprehensive overview of the current state of research. Major contributions to science have come in recent years from research groups working primarily outside of the melanoma field. These groups will now be incorporated into the meeting and it is an aim of the Congress that they become an integral part of the melanoma research community. The major contribution of the meeting to the research community will flow from the exchange of information and ideas to establish and facilitate collaborations between research groups and to cross-fertilize the diverse disciplines representing melanoma research. The congress will begin on Saturday evening, June 21, 2003, with keynote addresses by two prominent members of basic and translational melanoma fields. On Sunday and Monday, June 22 and 23, there will be plenary sessions in the morning and afternoon, each followed by three concurrent sessions for more detailed discussions. The last day's program on Tuesday, June 24 will have the same format but is restricted to the morning. Poster sessions in the late afternoons/evenings of Sunday and Monday will provide all participants the opportunity to present their research. The 5 plenary sessions will have 5 speakers each in immunology, epidemiology, biology, molecular biology, and the tumor microenvironment. The 13 concurrent sessions will cover research areas that are evenly divided among the different research topics. On Monday evening, the Melanoma Research Society will be inaugurated. In future years, it will be the main sponsor of research meetings. The Second Melanoma Research Congress will be held in 2005.